Pam Smith

January 29, 2010

A question once asked at a personal enrichment seminar: “What would you like people to say at your 80th birthday party? Think about this and then make that your legacy.”

Whether you knew Pam for decades or but a brief time, her legacy to those she left behind is powerful and true. Pam has been described by many as an “amazing woman” and indeed she was. She wore her roles well and played them for all they were worth: wife, mother, grandmother, friend, cook, and entertainer. As family and friends we tried never to take her gifts for granted; instead, we learned that it is How You Live that is important.

Pam’s love of cooking, entertaining, and attention to details certainly made everyday life special for so many. She tirelessly and humbly served her God, family, and friends with equal generosity, willingness, and love. Pam had a way of making anyone and everyone feel welcome and was always arranging and planning get-togethers, be it wedding or baby showers, intimate dinners with friends and family, or an afternoon tea party with her grandchildren. No holiday, birthday or anniversary ever went un-recognized. If she knew it, she recorded it on her calendar. Maybe you were even a recipient of the special red plate on your birthday. In her last few weeks of battling pancreatic cancer, she could hear friends and family gathering in the other rooms; she put it best when she said: “I just want to be a part of it.”

Someone once said: “Pam had a quiet grace about her. You couldn’t help but want to be like her.” We can’t think of a more fitting tribute. Pam proved that life is best when shared with others, when making them feel good about themselves, that giving one’s time and talents with love and enthusiasm should be the rule, not the exception. Finding the littlest things to celebrate and be happy about, we continue that part of Pam’s legacy with our family and friends. We see her legacy carried on in each person she touched, in their quiet remembrances and happy recollections, each time someone smiles while sharing a memory of her. She is dearly loved and missed. For Pam, life certainly was a tea party, and she will always be a part of it.